arnisador said:
Often capoeira uses a system of bely-like 'cords' of various colors.
That is exactly right. It is a colored rope, worn like a belt. Both holds up the pants, and acts as a rank indicator. Every Capoeira organization uses a different color system. My group uses solid colors, while others use various combinations of solid colors and braided multi-colored cords. I have heard that Jelon's group uses a black cord at the highest level, but I haven't been able to independently verify that. His is the only group I have heard to use black. If true, probably he is the only one who wears it.
Capoeira ranking does not tend to use Dan grades either. You simply hold the color rank, but no 1st - 10th degree.
Example: this is the system used by the ABADA group, based in Rio de Janiero, under the leadership of Meste Camisa
Student ranks: No Color (white or raw cord); yellow; orange
Graduated Student: Blue (approximately equivalent to 1st Degree Black belt, but within the context of Capoeira); Green. As a Graduated Student, a Capoeirista may act as an assistant teacher, or do some teaching under the guidance of a full instructor
Instructor: Purple
Professor: Brown
Mestrando: Red (mestrando is a verb, meaning roughly "one who is reaching mastery")
Mestre (master): half red, half white (in our organization, only Camisa and one or two others are of this rank)
Grao Mestre (Grand Master): White. This is an honorary recognition that Mestre Camisa gave his older brother, who introduced him into Capoeira when he was very young. Only one person in the organization can hold this rank.
In addition, for the levels up to Red, there is a half step where the cord is colored half the previous level, half the next, so there are really more steps than I have listed.
Certain titles tend to be common among different groups, even if the colored belts are different. These are Graduated Student (see Blue and Green above), and Contra Mestre, which is a higher level instructor, but not a full mestre.
I have seen other groups that use very different colors, mostly based on the colors of the Brazilian flag. They use white, yellow, green, blue, and various combinations of multi-colored braided ropes. I am not as familiar with their order of progression, however.
